Published: 12 Apr 2017 Source: University Relations Office (URO)
The second edition of the KNUST Textiles Exhibition and Fashion Show has been launched. The ceremony is an annual event initiated as part of the restructuring and expansion agenda of the Department of Industrial Art towards sustainable development and advancement of practical teaching and research in line with the vision of this university.
Professor Joshua Ayarkwah, Provost, College of Art and Built Environment, in his welcoming address showed his enthusiasm about the programmes offered by the Faculty of Art. He believed these programmes would help in youth development and job creation. He said, the Faculty would continue to produce skilled personnel to promote the art and cultural heritage of the country. The theme for this year’s exhibition “Rejuvenation”, he said, was appropriate as it was time for the nation to rejuvenate the fashion industry. He hoped that students would create jobs for themselves without depending on the government.
Dr. Ebenezer Howard, Head of Department, Industrial Art, noted that Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) was an institution established to train high level manpower for nation-building. The career-focused programmes under the Department of Industrial Art, emphasized the importance of adaptability and social awareness of the future of the Fashion, Textiles, Ceramics, and Metalsmithing and Jewellery Technology Industries through innovative educational experience geared towards industry and studio practice. Graduates are therefore given the opportunity to develop themselves as innovators and leaders in their areas of specialization. In order to make the department visible and its programmes sustainable, periodic exhibitions, trade fairs and conferences are organized to disseminate the research findings and showcase the innovative products of the department to the general public. He outlined some notable successful past events including:
First ceramics conference on “Developing the Ceramic Industry towards the Nation’s Benefit”.
An exhibition dubbed: “From Earth to Market”,
Metal Product Design Exhibition at Alliance Francaise on the theme “Knowledge and Skill Transfer in Metal Art for National Development”, and
The 2016 maiden edition of the KNUST Textiles Exhibition and Fashion Runway which received high recognition from academia, industry and the general public.
He continued that in pursuance of programme review and the expansion agenda of the department to make its programmes competitive and relevant to meet the expectations of industry and current global trends, the department in the last two years had embarked on an extensive programme review exercise to develop its optional programmes into fully-fledged and demand-driven programmes to increase student enrolment. He emphasized that stakeholders’ involvement had been very critical in the programme review and expansion process aimed at ensuring relevance of programmes to industry and best global practices. Programmes that had been developed and approved for next academic year (2017/2018) were BA Textile Design and Technology and BA Fashion Design, adding up to the existing BA Industrial Art Programme with options in Ceramics and Metal Product Design. To make programmes more job-specific in response to stakeholders’ demands, the department had also gone ahead to develop other options in Metals and Ceramics into full programmes with relevant MPhil and PhD programmes in all the areas of specialization which were currently being considered for approval at different levels of the university.
Rev. Professor Charles Ansah, the Pro-Vice Chancellor, KNUST, on behalf of the Vice Chancellor expressed his excitement at the good work of the Faculty of Art. He charged the Faculty to put together data of their art works into a publication. He encouraged the Faculty to improve learning in the industry by bringing in experts to train students in finishing. He assured the Faculty that the University management was ready to give support to the exhibition of their works.